Pump



March 3, 1931. w. Hf REEVES 1,795,097

` Puur Filed Nov. 25, 1927 4 shams-sheet 1 W. H. REEVES March 3, 1931.

PUMP

Filed Noir. 25! 192? 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Mrch 3, 1931 W. H. REEVES PUIP Filed Nov V25. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 3, 1931.` w. H. REEVES l 41,795,097

PUMP

Y Filed Nov. 25. 1927 4Sheets-Sheet 4 [gli ZZV/,amd @61985,

Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTj OFFICE WILLIAM H REEVES, F ST. LOUIS, JSIISSOURIv PUMP Application led November 25, 1927. Serial Np. 235,699.

This invention relates to improvements in pumps of the type used for receiving, or handling returns, consistingv chiefly of conden'sate and air, from steam heating systems, steam condensers, and other vapor apparatus, of the same general class as shown by my prior Patent No. 1,505,165, granted August 19, 1924.

One of the objects of this invention is to providean improved means A,for regulating and varying the amount of condensate'hand dled by the water pump so that condensate will be pumped continuously at whatever l rate it may drain to the apparatusfrom the return pipe; and at the same time maintain a constant Water level in the hot well, there- 4 by preventing air or vapor from entering the water pump with the condensate through the suction'which could interfere with the normal action of the pump, or cause it completely to fail by becoming air bound or vapor bound, and to accomplish this result Without resorting to intermittent operation. Another purpose .of this invention is to separate the air and condensate as fully as possible and to maintain the separation by ringingthe water to rest, or almost so, 4inthe hot well, and by maintaining a detinite water seal over the suction of the water pump, in order that the condensate may be returned to the boiler with the minimum air content. With most types of combined vacuum and condensate pumping units in common use on vacuum heating systems the air and condensate are separated in a receiving tank, but are afterwards mixed by recirculating the condensate in some form of hy draulic vacuum pump. While some sort of o secondary separation might be attempted it 4 is inevitable that with this continuous recirculation and-thorough churning of the condensate and air the condensate as fed to the boiler is highl charged with air. The presence of air in oiler feed Water is detrimental in several respects, a principal one, perhaps, being the pittingeect on steel used in the construction of boilers, economizers,

pipes and other elements of the plant. In modern central stations for generating elec- Atricity the advantages of a small air content 'the-use of the 4usual pumps, and to obtain other useful results and advantages, all of which will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan view illustrating one form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the hot well, float and automatic valve located in the condensate pump discharge with mechanical connection between and float and an automatic valve.

Fig'. 4 is a plan view of the invention showing the principal elements thereof arranged in a dierent relationship from the relationshi in which they are shown in Figs. l, 2 an 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the principal eements arranged in still another relations 1p. v.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the governor controlling the valvelin the suction pipe between the vacuum pump andthe hot well.

F ig.v7 is an enlarged section of the automatic valve located in the condensate pump discharge.

In a preferred embodiment of the'invention as illustrated the principal elements comprise' the hotwell l, the centrifugal hot well pump 2, the reciprocating vacuum pump 3, the worm gear drive 4 and the motor 5, all supported 'upon a common bedplate 6. The hot well l is preferably supported horizontally.

Flexible couplings 7 are provided for driv- -ingv cooperative parts of the shafts 8, 9 and understood that nodetailed illustration thereof is required, so also is the construction of sage 12 leading to the centrifugal condensate v pump 2. An opening 13 from the hot well 1 above the level of the condensate constitutes an outlet for air to a suction pipe 14 leading to the vacuum pump 3. A vacuum governor 15 controls the 'valve 16 in the suction pipe 14 leading from opening 13 to the vacuum pump 3 (Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6). The space below the diaphragm 17 lof the vacuum governor 15 has anopening 18 which is connected by a pipe 19 With the air-suction pipe 14 between Athe valve 16 and the outlet opening 13 in the hot Well 1. The governor 15 functions to regulate the rate of flow of air from the hot well to the vacuum ump 3 requisite for the desired vacuum at w ich the governor 15 may be set and at the same time permits the vacuum pump 3 to run continuously at uniform speed. This results in a saving of power approximately in proportion to the reduction in quantity of air handled below the maximum capacity of the vacuum pump 3.

The, centrifugal condensate pump 2 may be of any preferred or well understood constructlon and will remove the condensate from the hot well 1 and discharge the condensate through an outlet 'passage 20 leading to the boiler or other point of disposition. By this invention the capacity of the centrifugal condensate pump 2 is controlled automatically to correspond with the 'inflow into the hot well 1 at varying rates of flow, thus maintaining almost a constant water level in said hot i well 1, andvproviding a positive water seal over the suction passage 12 leading to the condensate -pump 2. This is accomplished by means of the float 21 in the hot well 1, lthe ioat lever-22. the rock shaft 23 to which link 27. The automatic valve 28 has a stem .29

-the oat lever 22 is connected,`the lever 24 on said rock shaft, andconnected by a-link 25 with a lever 26 pivotally' supported on a connected with said lever 26 as shown. Figs. 2 and 3 show float 21 in extreme 'low position in the hot well 1which is its position when said hot well is empty, and when in -which' position theautomatic valve 28 is closed. As

I the condensate begins to fill the hot well 1 the float 21 will rise with the waterlevel and cause an upward movement of theloat lever 22 which lwill partially'rotate the rock shaft 23 and move the bellcrank 24, the link 25 and the fulcrum lever 26,l which movement'of said fulcrum lever 2 6 will pull the stem 29 of the automatic valve 28. This movement of the stem 29 Will move the valve element 30 (F ig. 7 from its seat 31 and thus permit the condensate pump 2 to remove condensate from the hot well 1 and discharge the condensate through the automatic valve 28. If the condensate entering the hot Well 1 should reach its maximum rate of flow the automatic valve 28 will open proportionately, thus permitting the centrifugal condensate pump 2 to remove the condensate at its maximum capacity. At varying rates of flow of condensate into the hot well 1 the floatv21 will vary its position at different levels of the condensate in said hot Welland, in turn, control the extent of opening of the automatic valve element 30, and thus limit the pumping of condensate by the centrifugal Vcondensate pump 2 to correspond to the rates of flow of the condensate into the hot well 1. A saving in power will result from the throttling effect as the power used and required to drive the centrifugal condensate pump 2 will decrease approximately in proportion to any reduction in the rate of pumping.

Obviously the vacuum pump 3 need not be limited to -the .reciprocating type as illustrated, nor is it essential that the condensate pump 2 be of the centrifugal type illustrated, as any form of ump could be used having such characteristlcs that the capacity' may be uniform speed. Also there are many forms of commercial valves which could beused in place of the type illustrated for the automatic valve 28.

While the assembly and relationship of parts above described may be deemed pref- A nected to the other end of said motor shaft 8,

While lthe lshaft '10 ofthe vacuum pump 3 is directly connectedto the gear shaft 33 of the worm gear drive 4. l Y

Or, the parts may be assembled as shown in Fig. 5, in which the condensate pump 2 having double shaft extension'9 is-placcd in the center of the group, one end of the'pump shaft 9 being directly connected to the motor shaft 8 and the other end of said shaft 9 being directly connected to the worm shaft 32. In

'this arrangement the gear shaft 33 of the worm gear drive 4 is directly connected to the shaft 10 of the vacuum pump 3. A

From theforegoing it will beseen that the invention constitutes a compact assemblylin which the principal -elements perform their duties ina highly efficient manner, overcoming all of the disadvantages and objections hereinbefore mentioned andacting automati- Vvaried while the pump operates or runs at memo? inlet passage to said pump, a lloat in said reservoir, and a throttle vvalve in said discharge passage from said pump mechanically operated b said float for controlling the capacity of sai pump to correspond with the rate of liquid inflow to said reservoir. j

2. A pumping unit comprising a liquid reservoir, a liquid pum having' an inlet passage for withdrawing a l of the liquid directly from said reservoir and also having a single discharge passage for expelling from the unit all ofthe liquid passing from said reservoir.

through said inlet passageto said pump, a

valve in said discharge passage from said pump for controlling the `capacity of said pump, an actuator under control of the liquid in said reservoir, and mechanical connections operated by said actuator for operating said valve to control the capacity of said pump to correspond with the rate ofliquid inflow to said reservoir. N

3. A pumping unit comprising a liquid reservoir, a liquid pump having an inlet pa s.

sage for withdrawing all of the liquid di# rectly from said reservoir and Valso havingqa single discharge passage for expelling from the unit allofthe liquid passing from said reservoir through said inlet passage to said pump', a throttle valve in said discharge passage from said pump controlling the capacity of the pump to withdraw liquid from said liquid reservoir and to discharge said liquid through said discharge passage, a float in said reservoir, and -mechanical connections operated by said float for operating said4 valve to varyA andto control the capacity of said pump y to correspond with the rate of liquid inflow to said reservoir. i i

4lio 4. A pum ing unit'comp'rising a liquid reservoir, a l1qu1d pump having an inlet passage for withdrawing all of the liquid directlyfrom saidfreservoir and also having a single dischar e passage for expelling from 56 the unit all o the liquid passing from said reservoir through said inlet passage to said pump, a lloat in said reservoir, and means 1n said dischargepassage from said pump mechanically operated by said float for con- 60 trolling the capacity of said pump to withdraw liquid from said reservoir through said inlet dpassage to correspond with the rate of liqui inflow to said reservoir and to discharge said liquid through said discharge 05 passage.

5. i A pumping unitcomprising a `liquid reservoir, a liquid pump having an inlet passage for withdrawing all of the liquid di# rectly from said reservoir and also having a single discharge passage for expelling from the unit all of the liquid passing from said reservoir throu said inlet passage to said pump, a thrott ing valve in said discharge passage from said pump for controllin the c capacity of said pump to withdraw l1quid` from said reservoir and to discharge said liquid through said discharge passage, a float in, said reservoir under control of the liquid in said reservoir, and a mechanical drive connecting said float with said valve for operating said valve by said float to control vthe `capacity of said pump to withdraw liquid from said reservoir to correspond with the 4' rate of liquid inflow to said reservoir and to discharge said liquid through said discharge passage.

6. A pumping. unit comprising a liquid pump with an inlet passage for conducting all of the liquid to said pump and a single discharge passage for ex elling from the unit all of the liquid receive by said pump from said inlet passage, a valve in said discharge passage from said pump, a reservoir connected with and supplying all of the liquid to said inlet passage, a float in said reservoir under control of liquid in said reservoir, and

a mechanical drive connecting said float with said valve for operating said valve solely by the power of said float to control the capacity of said pump to correspond with the rate of liquid inflow to said reservoir from 'a source of supply, and to discharge said liquid through the said discharge passage.

7. A liquid pumping system comprising a vessel containing liquid and air, a liquid pump for removing liquid from said vessel, an evacuator for removing air from said vessel, a passage from said vessel to said liquid nunp, a single discharge passage from said liquid pump for all of the liquid handled by said pump, a throttle valve in said discharge passage, a passage for the air from said vessel to said evacuator, a float in said vessel, and a mechanical drive from said loat to said throttle valve for controlling the capacityof said li uid pulnp by liquidlev'el 1n said vessel, t lereby maintammg a hqlud level in said vessel and also maintaining alas 

